11 Ways To Maximise Every Part Of Your Day

1Want more ideas?

How to maximise the day

Sometimes it feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything today. However, you might be happy to know, there are some simple things you can do to maximise your time and productivity. For starters, have a set routine – that could be a specific time to get coffee in the morning, a brief workout or a process for catching up on emails.

2Have a routine

Drink up!

“I have a set routine I never break: Get up, walk to a coffee shop, have an espresso. It gets my brain ready to prepare for everything I am doing that day. When I’m home, I take my son, and when I’m traveling, I get to explore a new place.” –Patrick Quinlan, CEO, compliance management software company Convercent

3Exercise in the morning

Get your day off to a great start

“At 6 a.m., five days a week, I ride for an hour on a stationary trainer. The meditative state I achieve while working out always sparks new ideas, so I’ve started capturing those thoughts after my rides, either with Siri notes or old-fashioned pen and paper.” –Neil Grimmer, founder and CEO, personalised nutrition brand Habit

4Get ready in the morning

Morning routine is important too

“The Keurig is set to go on at 5:30. I like to have my coffee and check emails before I wake up my children for school. I use this precious time to organise orders, plan warehouse priorities for the day and check in on production. This allows me to go into my day feeling proactive and ready.” –Sara Stein, founder, gift brand Sisters of Los Angeles

5Have Wi-Fi everywhere you go

… but also remember why you need it

“Great wi-fi is key – I’ve even brought my Eeros with me on trips where I’m staying in Airbnbs. If I’m in a hotel, I make sure there’s a decent gym and a great café nearby. Having a small routine on the road helps it feel less foreign.” –Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit and Initialized Capital

6Wear headphones

What are you listening to?

“Fake [listening to] headphones. I have these obnoxiously large, white-and-red headphones that go over my entire ear and can be spotted from miles away. Sometimes I just put them on even if there is no music playing as a signal to leave me alone. Works like a charm. Until my team reads this!”–Scott Tannen, co-founder and CEO, bedding company Boll & Branch

7Block ‘work time’

Leave some time for yourself

“Block ‘work time.’ My co-founder Alex and I both carve out 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on our schedules every day and protect it as best we can, so we can get through pressing items and avoid being a bottleneck to the team on outstanding questions.” –Jordana Kier, cofounder and co-CEO, natural tampon company LOLA

8Communicate

There is not I in TEAM

“Everyone steps out of their office at 9 a.m. and shares a piece of good news. It can be professional or personal, as long as it’s office-appropriate. It gets team members into a shared space and allows us to start the day on a high note while getting to know each other and talk about successes.” –Monica Guzman, COO, public relations firm Konnect Agency

9Create fun office rituals

Lunch on you!

“For our internal executive meetings, if one or more people arrive late, they have to buy lunch for the next meeting. This keeps people on time and gamifies the meeting. We laugh about it with each other every time.” –John Rubey, CEO, content provider Fathom Events

10Take advantage of your commute

That’s if you take the train or someone else is driving

“If you commute to work on a train, with limited connectivity, as I do, think of one meaty email you’ve been avoiding writing and give yourself the length of the commute to really dig in. It makes the trip go faster and lets you start your day with a great sense of accomplishment.” –James Hirschfeld, co-founder and CEO, stationery brand Paperless Post

11Schedule short meetings

Timing is everything

“We schedule regular 20-minute walking meetings with our colleagues. The limited window forces function and encourages both parties to be efficient in their communications. It’s surprising how many issues can be resolved or clarified in that tight timeframe.” –Evelyn Rusli, co-founder, baby food brand Yumi

12Workout at your desk

Stretch it out

Sometimes you simply can’t get out. “In the office, there’s nothing wrong with doing sets in between calls and meetings. Do 20 squats, 20 jumping jacks.” Bonus points if you break a sweat. (Sorry, work clothes.) –Martellus Bennett, founder of creative firm The Imagination Agency

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Entrepreneur magazine is South Africa's Best-Selling Consumer Business Title (ABC). Targeted at business owners and key decision makers, the publication is the “how to” handbook for building companies.